The first academic research project into lap dancing has found that, rather than being uneducated young women who have been coerced into the industry, one in four dancers has a degree and has been attracted by the money.
Dancers took home an average of £232 a shift after paying commission and fees to the club, with most working between two and four shifts a week – giving them annual incomes of between £24,000 and £48,000 a year.
That's $37,000 to $74,450 USD. Not surprisingly, three out of four surveyed said they were "happy" or "Very happy" at work. One such lady is Amber:
Amber gave up a career as a financial journalist seven years ago, and now earns around £40,000 a year ($62K USD) working as a stripper in pubs in London's East End.
The 32-year-old, who has three A-levels and a journalism degree, said: "I had always been fascinated by the idea of being a stripper. I was disillusioned about the work I was doing. I think many people who have worked hard at school and university get out into the real world and find it's not what they expected. Someone I knew had a partner who worked as a stripper, so I went to see her perform at a pub in the East End.
"I think it's everyone's dream to be self-employed, to not have a boss and to work as much or as little as you want. In journalism, it didn't matter how many hours of overtime I put in, I still got paid the same. Now I can work really hard one week and earn good money, and then I can have a week when I don't work so hard and don't earn so much.
One might even begin to wonder who's being exploited here? The obviously smart women or the poor saps who pay them?
H/T Memeorandum
Cross posted at Left Coast Rebel, Say Anything
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